Calling it the formal start of Gill's era, Chopra also wondered what the change means for Rohit Sharma, whose place in India's long-term plans could now depend solely on form and fitness.
Surya-led India continued their dominant run in T20I cricket, handing Pakistan their third loss in the head-to-head encounters between these two sides in the final of the Asia Cup at Dubai on Sunday. I
'The way he controlled the players on and off the field, it was brilliant. That's why the players also took to him very easily.'
India's newly-appointed ODI skipper Shubman Gill on Thursday said senior stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remain a part of the team's 2027 World Cup plans as their skill levels and voluminous experience cannot be ignored.
'His words gave us strength when we were at our lowest.'
On any other occasion, there would have been a build-up of excitement from cricket fans. But not this time.
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The series in Australia could well be Rohit's last in India Blues. But Kohli, given his high fitness standards, could play on until the 2027 World Cup.
India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, are coming into the showpiece event on the back of a hard-fought ODI series loss to Australia, where opener Smriti Mandhana slammed two back-to-back centuries and the spinners, led by Deepti Sharma, giving a good account of themselves.
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The triumph at the Dubai International Stadium marked India's ninth Asia Cup title and showcased the team's grit, character, and ability to perform under pressure.
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Earlier, after incessant rain interrupted the exciting contest, South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt won the toss and opted to field against the hosts India.
'He doesn't play T20 cricket. So, he will not be a part of the World Cup in 2026 in India. But when they go to 2027 in South Africa, he will be 40 years old. And that's a big number in sport.'
'There has been no gentlemanness in the game. There have been very rude, arrogant gestures on the field.'
While new young stars have emerged in Indian cricket in the last few years, none can match the monumental batting feats or the electric fan frenzy that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli command.
He also admitted to learning a lot from 'one of the best players in the world', his teammate Steve Smith.
Pakistan's reported threat to pull out from the ongoing Asia Cup after demanding ICC match referee Andy Pycroft's removal won't be particularly easy
'Funny enough, I'm not one for records, but when you mention Meg Lanning, I'm glad I'm above that one. As long as we are winning the games, then I'm all good.'
The Indian trio of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy and aggressive opener Abhishek Sharma retained their respective top positions in the ICC T20 rankings.
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The other venues for the eight-team tournament include Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam and Colombo.
Mike Hesson is free to rank Pakistan left-arm spinner Mohammed Nawaz as high as he wants but India know where their spinners are placed in the world order.
The Asia Cup trophy was ultimately not awarded to champions India in the customary ceremony after they refused to accept it from Naqvi in Dubai on Sunday.
India defeated Pakistan by 88 runs in their Women's World Cup match in Colombo on Sunday.
'...the only match that really counts is the one at the end. And that will be our focus. Trying to play our best game when it counts.'
'You are talking about legends like Gavaskar, Tendulkar, Dravid and Virat. Rohit does not fit in there.'
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'We are going to play in front of a huge crowd in India, and it's going to be a memorable campaign and we are ready for it.'
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has issued fresh guidelines barring journalists from asking political questions at press conferences in an apparent bid to diffuse the volatile situation that has persisted since the India-Pakistan match last Sunday.
That is the level of trust we have in each other.'
India's middle-order mainstay Shreyas Iyer was on Tuesday nominated alongside New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra and Jacob Duffy for the ICC Player of the Month award for March following his remarkable performance in last month's Champions Trophy.
'Should a player with such deep understanding of the ODI format be removed from captaincy when neither age nor performance has dimmed his brilliance?', asks veteran cricket correspondent K R Nayar.
'If tomorrow India says there should be no no-balls or wide balls, the ICC will find a way to make it happen.'
The timing of his decision comes just months before England's highly anticipated Test tour of Australia, where the two sides will contest a five-match ICC World Test Championship series beginning November 21 in Perth.
Returning to the bowling crease would mark the final stage of Green's carefully looked-after return to cricket after a spinal fusion operation in Christchurch.
Fresh from a hard-fought 2-2 draw in England, Shubman Gill's men will be eager to translate their overseas resilience into home dominance.
Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the PCB chief, walked away with the Asia Cup trophy after India refused to take the silverware from his hands.
The India-Pakistan tensions have had no impact on the bonhomie within the UAE cricket team, which is a mix of expatriates from the two countries, insisted skipper Muhammad Waseem.
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